FSI halts Calypso spin-on low-k dielectric product line

MUNICH -- FSI International Inc. has shelved its spin-on dielectric program and product series, called Calypso, after concluding that chemical vapor deposition (CVD) has won the battle for low-k in 0.13-micron interconnect processes. Calypso also fell victim to belt tightening at FSI during the industry's sharp downturn.

"Calypso will come back, but we have decided to temporarily stop the program and reassign the people working on it to other areas," confirmed Donald S. Mitchell, president and CEO of the Chaska, Minn., company. "We believe the application for spin-on of low-k dielectrics will open up again in the next-generation process, or the 0.10-micron node," he said during an interview at Semicon Europa in Munich.

Last year, FSI also struck a development partnership with Dow Chemical Co. to apply Calypso and spin-on resin films for low-k dielectrics in 0.13-micron copper interconnects (see July 5, 2000, story). Mitchell said the partnership is still underway with Dow Chemical, which is promoting its organic polymer--called SiLK--for insulating layers in copper interconnects.